As Aaron Blake points out in the Washington Post, the president has now established a pattern of firing inspectors general late on Friday night. On May 15, it was Steve Linick of the State Department, shit-canned for cooperating with Congress in the impeachment inquiry and investigating Secretary Mike Pompeo’s use of a political appointee as a personal servant for himself and his wife. Announced at 10pm.
On May 1, it was Christi Grimm of Health & Human Services, fired for issuing “an April report finding “severe shortages” of coronavirus testing kits, delays in results and “widespread shortages” of equipment like masks.” Announced a little after 8pm.
On April 3, it was Intelligence Community inspector general Michael Atkinson, fired for delivering the whistleblower report on Ukraine to Congress. Announced around 10pm.
He also fired Acting Defense Department inspector general Glenn Fine on April 7, but that was a Tuesday. His reasoning? He doesn’t know or trust him, and he didn’t want him overseeing any part of a $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that had recently been enacted into law.
These are all blatantly corrupt acts, and the three most obviously corrupt cases were all announced late on Friday night precisely because of Trump’s consciousness of guilt and desire to minimize public awareness of his criminality.
Collectively, they amount to a rock solid article of impeachment. If I were Pelosi, I’d consider having another impeachment trial. Why not? It’s warranted, and there’s no reason we should just sit here helplessly while the man breaks every single thing of value in this country.
It does seem there is no longer any moral compass to our government as Trump simply rambles about unchecked for anything his rotten heart desires. And I become increasingly concerned the Idiot in Chief will pull off another win on the back of our corrupt constitution and some help from corrupt cronies and the Supreme Court. Meanwhile it is even frightening to venture out doors for so many of out citizens. Does there come a time when some say NO MORE!! Yes impeach him again.
At this point, another impeachment feels like it would be about as effective as a sternly worded letter to the editor.
I hope not–but nicely pointed comment.
I am now fearful that Trump will destroy our USPS and our ability to have decent opportunities for people to vote and BE COUNTED. I also fear that Trump will declare the election a fake news story and refuse to leave officee. The third fear, if he does not get elected, who will protect the country from the lame duck congress. e.g., as in republlican style lame duck Wisconsin and the Carolinas?
In a well-organized “Resistance”, the following would, in some fashion, happen:
*Fired inspector generals would immediately get hired by prominent universities, thinks tanks, foundations, or corporations so as to have economic security for themselves and their families, and to have a platform for speaking out against the administration.
*Fired IGs would expose what they know and suspect about Trump and his cronies, and would release the evidence to the public.
*Congressional committees would hold high profile hearings centered around the fired IGs to amplify their evidence and to put the administration on the defensive.
*The media (newspapers, magazines, journals, radio, television, internet) would have multiple well-oiled paths for fired IGs to get their evidence and message out to the public.
*Brave, patriotic Americans still employed by the federal government (in IG offices, in intelligence and law enforcement agencies, elsewhere in the federal bureaucracy and in Congress) would leak documents and other evidence damaging to Trump and his cronies. (For example, the abundant evidence that almost certainly exists within the FBI that Trump has, for years, escaped prosecution on money laundering and organized crime-related charges only because he’s been a confidential informant.)